Laptops have all but overtaken desktops as part of our daily life and work routine. While it's true that most things can be done on your phone, the rest of it can probably be done on your computer. Whether you're watching movies, working, or learning, a laptop is essential for success.
When choosing a laptop, there is a lot that can influence your decision. Some of the main challenges often revolve around pricing. Trying to get a reasonable number of features for a good price is often the top consideration for any purchase, but this is especially true for students.
The good news is that while not all inexpensive laptops are adequate, there are many promising options that may suit your needs.
Whether you desperately need to replace a laptop or are simply shopping around just in case, check out our selections for the best laptops under $500.
The HP 14 is one of the new laptops of 2020 and is among the best in our best laptop under $500 list. The laptop comes equipped with the AMD Ryzen 3 3200U 2.6 GHz, which features great performance for everything you do.
The laptop features a 14-inch screen with diagonal HD SVA Brightview micro-edge with a WLED backlit display. This reduces the strain on your eyes. The 12 GB solid-state drive gives you a good amount of memory to handle most typical data storage. Meanwhile, the 4GB of DDR4 RAM features multitasking that offers plenty of storage space without slowing you down.
The laptop offers long battery life and is designed for portability. The laptop is lightweight with a micro-edge display and ultra-narrow bezel so that you can take your laptop no matter where you go.
As a brand-new laptop, the HP 14 comes equipped with Windows 10 in S mode, which allows you to boot up faster and increases responsiveness, optimized speed. And added protection against malicious software. The computer also offers the latest in AMD graphics for wonderful imagery regardless of whether you are studying or enjoying a movie.
Regardless of whether you need a laptop for work, school, or occasional watching fun, the HP 14 is a great call.
Read More Key FeaturesThe new Dell Inspiron i3583 offers a 15.6 HD touch screen a Dual Core, four-way processor, and an 8 GB DDR4 system memory, making it a great contender for the best laptop under $500.
The screen is equipped with LED backlight and provides 1366 x 768 HD resolution to provide amazing and entertaining images with an Intel UHD Graphics 620. If great visual quality is important, this laptop is definitely worth your consideration.
The Dell Inspiron i3583 weighs about 4.41 lbs, and measures in at 0.8 inches, making it portable and sleek. Traveling with this laptop for work or school is easy. However, you can also enjoy the laptop from your own abode for work-from-home and homeschooling.
This laptop also features an HDMI output for larger presentations and supports SD memory card formats for classwork. You'll also find a wireless-AC as well as a built-in HD webcam that is perfect for remote work and learning.
The Dell Inspiron i3583 comes with Windows in S mode and a 30-day Microsoft Office trial. The Windows S is an updated version and, while some people like it, others prefer older Windows versions for their simplicity and ability to download various apps. Fortunately, most Windows S-equipped laptops can be converted into later versions, so you do have options.
Read More Key FeaturesIf you are a student, you are definitely looking for the best value for a reasonable price. After all, modern student budgets are nowhere near extravagant. Fortunately, there are still great options for laptops that offer you plenty of features to accomplish your school-based needs.
The Lenovo 100E Chromebook is a second-generation laptop that offers 4GB LPDDR3 RAM and 16GB eMMC TLC SSD, which are enough to meet the needs of most school-based programs.
Unless you are in a particular program that requires specific software installation, in which case your teachers and classmates can give you a guide on minimal memory size required for your needs, the Lenovo 100E is great for fulfilling school needs.
The Lenovo 100E Chromebook is light, weighing only 2.7 lbs., and portable. You can get up to ten hours of battery life, though this varies depending on how much you are running, as it does with most laptops.
This contender for best laptop under $500 also features a 720 HD camera and an 11.6-inch screen with a decent display. This also comes with the ability to integrate with your Google ID, so you don't miss a beat as you switch over from your old laptop.
Read More Key FeaturesIf you're looking for a great, reliable laptop, why not check out 2019 models? After all, a model that's just slightly older has been long enough to garner reviews but is still "fresh" enough to keep up with most of the latest trends in software and applications.
The HP 2019 14-inch Laptop offers an Intel Core i3 processor and 8 GB of memory. The display is set to maintain the image quality of your favorite videos and images with a 1366x768 resolution and a WLED backlight that helps further improve image quality.
The HP 2019 features great processing performance for great computing capability. This means that you'll be able to run most regular programs and sites including your favorite Microsoft software.
While the 8 GB of RAM isn't all that much, it does give you enough space for plenty of apps and the 12 GB SSD offers less shortage of space than a hard drive. While the storage isn't as vast as on a more expensive laptop, it still gives you plenty of space general needs.
With its light-weight structure and great capabilities, the HP 2019 is a great, inexpensive, laptop for casual use, school, and work. Unless you have a specific minimum memory or processing requirement, this is a great laptop to consider.
Read More Key FeaturesWith working and learning from home becoming increasingly common, having a reliable laptop at home only makes sense. However, you also want a laptop that can give you plenty of flexibility no matter what the future will bring. The best laptop under $500 will be able to handle your existing workload while also allowing you to take your work on-the-go as needed.
Depending on what exactly you'll want to do with your laptop, the Lenovo Ideapad S145 can be a great choice. With a 15.5-inch screen that features an HD display and Intel UHD Graphics, this laptop is going to give you great graphics for most jobs and for most school programs.
The Lenovo Ideapad S145 also comes with a 1.8 GHz Processor and 4GB of storage. While the storage isn't a whole lot, it's enough to run basic apps and you can also rely on online storage to supplement.
The laptop also features 802.11 AC WiFi, Bluetooth, and HDMI capabilities, to help you connect at work, school and home. Don't want to stay constantly plugged in? No problem! The Lenovo Ideapad S145 also features 6 hours of battery life, so you can take your laptop wherever you like.
Read More Key FeaturesWhen it comes to choosing an inexpensive laptop, most users are suspicious of refurbished models. However, finding a good refurbished or renewed model that is also backed by the promise of a reliable seller is worth consideration. The Acer Swift 1, renewed, offers you the benefits of a brand-new 2020 Acer version at a lowered price.
Amazon-renewed laptops are guaranteed to have been inspected by Amazon-qualified suppliers and promise a product that has minimal scratches and, or, dents, and a battery life of at least 80% capacity. This laptop is also promised to be fully functional carries an Amazon-backed warranty; the eligible for a replacement or refund for within 90 days of when you receive the product.
The Acer Swift 1 offers a 14-inch laptop screen with a diagonal FHD SVA BrightView Micro-Edge that is backlit with LED to give you a 1920x1080 resolution display. With a high-quality display and the Intel UHD Graphics 605 card, you are sure to get good image quality.
This renewed version of Acer Swift 1 also offers an Intel Pentium N5000 and a battery life of up to 15 hours, which is better than even some of the brand new laptop models.
This laptop is also upgraded with a 64 GB eMMC, which provides a massive amount of storage space for the price and allows you to store important digital data and large files.
Read More Key FeaturesIf you need a laptop for school or work, your best laptop under $500 is going to have to be portable, right? After all, you don't want to be losing space to a bulky device or lugging too much weight in your bag. If you want a laptop that supports most basic features while also offering portability, consider the Asus 14 inch Premium Laptop computer.
The Asus Premium Laptop offers a 14-inch HD Widespread screen with LED display and 1366x768 resolution offers great imagery for your viewing pleasure and an AMD Dual Core A6-9225 Processor for good run speed and function.
The laptop comes equipped with ports for a USB 3.1 Type-C, a USB 3.0, a USB 3.1, HDMI, and VGA connection capabilities to help accommodate most compatibility needs.
The Asus Premium Laptop comes highly recommended as the best laptop under $500 for daily use from reviewers as well. The laptop supports office software, runs smoothly, and is responsive. The 14-inch screen size seems small but actually large enough for most users. After all, many of us have been forced to adapt to the tiny screens of our phones.
Whether you're planning on using this laptop at home, or for basic work and school needs, the Asus Premium Laptop is definitely worth your consideration.
Read More Key FeaturesIf you are planning to take a computer to work or school, you know it has to be compact. However, what you may miss in your initial search is a laptop that is durable. After all, no one is immune to accidents, so having a laptop that is both light-weight and able to take a few bumps is definitely ideal for the best laptop under $500. Fortunately, the HP ProBook x360 offers both durability and ease of portability.
The HP ProBook x360 is equipped with 4 GB DRR SDRAM and a 128 GB solid state drive, which gives you enough to run the programs you need without suffering speed loss. While the memory isn't particularly impressive, it definitely gives you enough for the basics.
The HP ProBook x360 also offers 11 hours of battery life, which is plenty if you decide to take your laptop on the road or for a study session.
The 11.6-inch screen HD touchscreen offers a 1366x768 resolution display with a 2-in1 design that allows you to use the HP ProBook x360 as either a laptop or a tablet. You also have a great camera at your disposal for online meetings for conference calls with friends. The HP ProBook x360 also includes two USB ports, a USB Type-C port, a headphones/microphone port, and an HDMI port.
Read More Key FeaturesIf your ideal environment is far from the office, or if being able to work and study from anywhere is your main priority, having an ultra-portable laptop is ideal. The ASYS VivoBook L203MA laptop is ultra-thin, as it weighs only 2.2 lbs and is equipped with 4 GB LPDDR4 RAM and 64 GB em Flash storage.
This small but mighty laptop runs on an Intel Celeron N4000 Processor, which features a 4M Cache and can handle up to 2.6 GHz. This allows the ASYS VivoBook L203MA to perform most of your favorite laptop functions quickly and efficiently without weighing you down.
As a bonus, the ASYS VivoBook L203MA comes with one year of Microsoft Office 365, which means that you don't have to pay for Word, PowerPoint, and other favorite apps.
The ASYS VivoBook L203MA does come equipped with Windows S, which can be changed to Windows 10 at no cost. The downside of Windows S is that you're limited to the apps you can buy in-store versus being free to download. While some do like Windows S, changing to Windows 10 is easy and you can definitely install your favorite not-in-store-apps once you make the switch.
Read More Key FeaturesWhen, and if, you start thinking about brands for the best laptop under $500, you are probably thinking of HP or Dell. While these brands are great, there are also newer brands that are vying for customers and some have managed to produce high-quality laptops that consumers love.
The Jumper EZbook X3 is a Windows 10-based Laptop that offers a 13.3-inch HD IPS screen with 1920x1080 resolution for great image quality while you are browsing the web or enjoying your favorite video games. A camera is included for video capability, or for capturing quality images.
This laptop is very thin and perfect for daily work for busy students, stay-at-home employees, and commuters alike. While the Jumper EZbook X3 is very portable, it also offers the same reliability as heavier models with an N3350 Dual Core processor for smooth operation and multitasking capabilities as well as 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of ROM with an added 6GB of DDR for editing photos and videos.
Jumper also offers a 12-month warranty on their laptops for up to one year after purchase. Between a great price and solid features, this laptop can function as either a primary or a portable backup.
Read More Key FeaturesWhen looking for the best laptop under $500, there is definitely a lot to consider. Here are just a few things to consider and keep in mind when searching.
A Laptop's PurposeIs this a laptop you'll be using for entertainment and occasional emails, or is this something you'll need for school? Depending on your answer, you may have different minimum requirements for your laptop.
MemoryWhen you look at different laptop prices, the differences often lie in computer memory capabilities. While most basic laptops give you 2-6 GB of RAM, others will give you as much as 24 GB of RAM. The RAM varies by brand and, of course, with pricing.
If you're not familiar with the concept of computer memory capacity, you may think that more is better. However, this is not always true, as many less expensive laptops and tablets run well on about 6-8 GB of memory. Opting for high RAM is a bit of overkill unless you know that you'll be running a high-requirements program. For instance, if you're looking to build a laptop that can run complex gaming software, higher RAM is recommended.
Image QualityWhile most modern laptops are going to give you great image quality, some are definitely better than others. Your image quality will depend on your needs. For instance, if you are simply looking at notes or checking work emails, image quality may not be of great significance. However, if you plan on editing photos or designing images on your laptop, image quality is something to check.
If in doubt, you'll want to look at resolution and display capabilities for images. Further, you can always attempt to find an image with a similar setting and check to see whether you notice a difference in the image quality.
PortabilityA laptop is meant to be portable. However, some laptop models are definitely more portable than others. If traveling with your laptop is a priority, look at weight and dimensions to gauge how easy, or difficult, it will be to bring your laptop along.
Eyestrain ProtectionSome of the newest laptops offer protection from eyestrain in the form of blue light blockers and other defenses. If you're spending a lot of time on the computer, eyestrain protection is definitely something to consider. Another option is to talk to your optometrists about lenses for your glasses that block blue light from your computer.
WarrantiesMany good laptops come with warranties. A warranty offered by the manufacturing company can put your mind at ease and help ensure that you have back up in case of trouble with your computer.
DurabilityThis is especially a consideration for travelers and students; after all, if you will be carrying your laptop, you want it to be able to withstand a few bumps.
These are just a few factors to consider when determining which laptop is best for you, albeit within your budget.
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